The invention relates to an adjustable belt guide for the upper hold point of a three-point seat belt with a directing element via which the belt band of the three-point seat belt can be guided, with a connecting element to fix the belt guide to a backrest of a vehicle seat and with an adjustment element arranged between connecting element and directing element. In addition, the invention relates to a vehicle seat with integrated three-point seat belt, in which the belt band is guided by an adjustable belt guide connected to the backrest.
Vehicle seats which have an integrated three-point seat belt are known. This is the case in particular in the field of commercial vehicles, for example for lorries. However, in particular in the case of HGVs, the rate of seat-belt use is very low, around an estimated 30%. A common argument for not wearing a three-point seat belt is that it chafes the neck of short people. To date, this has been addressed by a vertical adjustment of the upper hold point to suit the occupant.
Devices are also known by means of which the position of the upper hold point can be adjusted laterally. For example, DE 35 30 495 A1 discloses a fitting attached to the side of the backrest of the vehicle seat parallel to the plane of the backrest. The fitting has a guide slit developed S-shaped through which the belt band of the three-point seat belt is guided. Depending on the height of the occupant, the belt band can be guided further up inside the guide slit and thus also closer to the middle of the seat or further down and thus further away from the middle of the seat.
In addition, there is known from DE 38 18 920 A1 a vehicle seat with a belt guide arranged in the shoulder area for a three-point seat belt, in which the belt guide is again arranged inside the plane of the back seat. The belt guide is developed such that it is swivellable about three axes standing orthogonally relative to each other—the vertical, the horizontal inside the backrest and the horizontal perpendicular to the backrest. Thus the angle of the belt band as guided to the occupant can be adjusted.
However, common to all known adjustable belt guides, in particular those integrated in the vehicle seat, is that the adjustment of the position of the belt guide cannot be carried out optimally for different occupants.